While You Were Sleeping
by Stargate-Lover-Steph
Summary: After a long and tiring case, Frankie falls asleep in an unusual place.


_This was written when I received a prompt. The prompt was - Person A falls asleep in person B laps. Person B continues to go about their day while stroking person A like a cat. Person C enters the room and persons C and B have a long conversation while person A sleeps. So of course, it had to be Boyd/Frankie with Grace coming in and finding them. Enjoy! _

Frankie slowly dragged her feet up each step, she felt like she was climbing a mountain. The stairs between the lab and the CCU office had never seemed so long, or so hard to climb. When she finally reached the top and pushed open the doors she was surprised to find the place empty, not a single person in sight. The evidence boards showing the pictures and notes from the latest case looming over the empty desks. Frankie looked towards Graces office first, the blinds open showing the desk lamp on, the owner of the office sat at her desk stabbing keys on a keyboard. Frankie then looked at the other office in the room, it's door closed, blinds shut, but light visible through the gaps where the pull strings were. So he hadn't left either. Dragging her feet across the floor she didn't even bother knocking, just pushed open the door and stepped into his office.

Boyd looked up when the door opened, expecting to see Grace but seeing Frankie instead.

"I thought you'd gone home hours ago." Watching as Frankie closed the door and werely dragged herself over to the settee, sitting down rather heavily.

"I was supposed to, but results started to come through and they didn't make sense so I needed to run more tests, gather more samples. And here we are. What day is it?" Frankie looking heavy-lidded across at Boyd.

"The fact you have to ask tells me you should be at home, in bed, asleep. Has it really been that long?" Getting up and stretching his arms out in front of him as his back made some weird cracking noise.

"Last time I was home was Thursday morning, what's it now? Saturday or Sunday?" Watching Boyd as he walked towards her and sat beside her.

"Still Saturday, just. Why don't you go home, you don't look like you've slept properly in days. Come to think about it, have you slept at all?" Boyd shifting the pillows behind him until he was comfortable.

"A couple of hours here and there. When was the last time you went home?" Frankie trying to focus her tired eyes on Boyd as she spoke.

"Same time as you I think. Unless you include yesterday and the change of clothes I went and grabbed as going home." Replying to Frankie as he watched her fighting to keep her eyes open.

He watched her for a few minutes, her eyes closing and her head falling to the side as she fell asleep, only for her to jerk awake and start all over again.

"Frankie, come here." Grabbing Frankie's arm and tugging her towards him.

Frankie partly opened her eyes and looked at Boyd, her body going towards him all too willing, his arms wrapping around her as she settled in his lap. Frankie's head fitted perfectly on his shoulder, her face turned to his neck as she slipped her arm across his chest. She was asleep instantly, her warm breath brushing his neck as her fingers twitched at his side. The whole team was knackered, everyone stopping back as the case heated up. He had sent Spencer and Stella home, not even bothering to check the lab to see if Frankie had gone home. She was back on a temporary loan until the team got a new forensic scientist after Felix had left. She hadn't been sure about coming back, but she had missed the place and the team when she left.

Boyd sat stroking Frankie's hair with one hand as he held her with the other, the short hair now shoulder length just like when they had first met. He was so focused on Frankie he got a fright when the office door opened and Grace walked in, a file in her hand. Boyd gave Grace a brief smile before turning his attention back to Frankie. Grace took in the sight before her, a mix of both surprise and relief seeing Frankie asleep in Boyd's lap.

"What can I do for you, Grace?" Boyd's voice was low as he continued to stroke Frankie's hair.

"This can wait until morning if you like." Watching with mild affection at the tenderness Boyd was showing towards Frankie.

This was the Boyd no one saw, no one bar Frankie by the looks of it. This was what he must have been like before Luke, before life took its hold and crime wore him down. He looked so relaxed, so laid back, like having Frankie curled up sleeping in his lap was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was, maybe this was what they did when everyone else went home.

"Is this a new thing?" Grace not being able to stop herself from asking.

"Sleeping like this is, us, no. But you knew that already didn't you. What did you want anyway?" Looking down as Frankie shifted against him slightly.

"I have that profile done if you want to discuss it." Holding up the file in front of her.

"Why not." His fingers still moving through Frankie's hair as he kissed her temple.

Grace opened the file and read out some of what she had written, Boyd asking questions as she spoke. They chatted for nearly an hour, Frankie staying asleep curled up against Boyd the whole time. Frankie started to fidget in her sleep, her movements becoming erratic as Boyd held her tightly.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, Frankie. No one's going to hurt you. I promise, sweetie, you're safe, I'm here." Stroking her hair and face as he talked, Frankie's fidgeting and her moving around settling down until she was sound asleep again.

"Has she spoken to anyone about that yet?" Grace remembering back to a time when it was she who woke Frankie from her nightmare.

"Not that I know of. Some days are worse than others. When she's exhausted, wore out, run down, it's always so close to the surface. Other times it can be weeks before the nightmares come back. I said she should speak to someone, talk about what happened, to someone other than me that is. But you know what she's like, how stubborn she can be. So now all I do is this, talk her through the nightmares, hope it's enough so she doesn't wake up sobbing and crying, curled up in on herself." Kissing her hair, temple, nose, anywhere he could reach.

Grace smiled as she watched him, saw Frankie's hand grip Boyd's shirt a little tighter as she mumbled what sounded like Boyds name in her sleep.

"Shhh, I'm here," Boyd reassuring Frankie again of his presences.

"I'm going home, maybe you two should do the same." Grace standing up as she watched the couple on the settee.

"Pass me my coat please, Grace." Boyd catching Grace watching them as he looked at her when he spoke.

Grace did as she was asked, passing Boyd the coat so he could cover both of them both.

"If I wake her now she'll be up for the rest of the night. She's asleep, soon I'll be asleep, everyone is happy." Yawning as he cuddled Frankie.

"Night, Boyd." Grace whispering as she reached the door to the office.

"Night, Grace," Boyd replied as he closed his eyes and waited to fall asleep.


End file.
